#747 Eggs by Jerry Spinelli

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli

David’s life has changed quite a lot recently. He has had to move in with his grandmother, which he doesn’t like. The reason he lives with his grandmother is because his mother died. She fell. Everyone falls, but David’s mother died. He doesn’t understand. His grandmother tries to help him out, but David doesn’t even want to talk to her.

David goes to an egg hunt for Easter and finds, what he thinks, is a dead girl, but she’s not dead. Her name is Primrose. She’s sneaking into the egg hunt because she’s too old to go now. Primrose lives in a van outside a small house. Her mother lives in there and works there as a psychic. She wanted to share a bed with Primrose, there was only one bed, Primrose didn’t want to. She thinks her mother is weird, instead, she lives in a van.

David goes to find Primrose one day and it starts a friendship between the two. They go out at night to collect junk to sell. Primrose needs money so she can redecorate her van. David ends up staying out late many nights. Primrose sneaks into his room. His grandmother knows nothing about it.

Primrose learns more about David’s life. David always wants to follow the rules. David will never watch the sunrise. He misses his mother terribly. He tries to get Primrose’s mother to find her, but she says that his mother is all around. David cannot find her.

The two get lost one day walking to the city along the train tracks. Everyone is terribly worried about them. David and Primrose both come to realizations about their lives. The people in their lives are more important than they have given them credit for, even in their own minds.

What I liked

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Jerry Spinelli book, but I did read several as a child. They’re not bad as far as books go. I liked that Primrose and David formed this strange friendship and both got something they needed from it. They both managed to come out of their respective shells a bit because the personality of the other one pushed and pulled on that shell.

What I didn’t like

The story is sad. David is so young. It’s difficult for him to realize that his mother is dead. He’s old enough to know what dead is, but the manner his mother died in, is ordinary. It’s not how people usually die. David could probably have grasped the idea of a deadly car accident easier than a deadly fall. Everyone falls and we usually don’t die from it. If someone told you a loved one died from something ordinary, wouldn’t it be difficult for you to grasp as well? I think being a child and trying to deal with something so hard to grasp makes it that much more difficult.

I lost a part at a young age, just like David, although my father’s death was more comprehensible than a fall. It’s difficult to grow up minus one parent, even if your parents aren’t together, it’s always better to have two of them alive.

Primrose also has issues with her mother. While Primrose’s mother does love her and tries her best, it almost feels as if there is something wrong with her. Maybe she has a mental health issue or some other disability. I think it’s also very difficult to be the child of a person who is like a child themselves in various manners. Both of these children are lacking something in parentage, but I think the meshed family they ultimately find with new friends, is going to give them a more complete life experience.

Overall

It makes a person think differently about eggs.

Weigh In

If you have a personal tragedy in your life, is there an item that symbolizes your grief?

Would you find it difficult to take the death of a loved one through ordinary circumstances?

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Published by Ashe

I always said my dream job would be to get paid for sitting in a corner and drawing all day long. Now, I have to ammend that idea of my dream job. I think I would like to sit in a corner and be able to get paid for drawing and writing.
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